With Gratitude
THANK YOU.
These two very simple words express my sincere gratitude for your personal commitment to
Bloomsburg University.
I thank you, the members of our extended campus community, for the difference you make in the
life of this institution through your meaningful gifts of time, energy and financial support. Every
personal connection has an impact and a story.
Nowhere was your thoughtfulness more apparent than last fall during a series of events to kick
off the public phase of It’s Personal: The Campaign for Bloomsburg University. Over the course of
10 days in October, we joined with students, faculty and staff for a rally on the Academic Quad and
celebrated with alumni, donors and friends at events in Nelson Field House and Philadelphia’s
Franklin Institute.
The momentum built quietly for five years during the campaign’s private phase. As a result,
we constructed a downtown building, established and awarded endowed scholarships, initiated
institutes, created professorships and supported students’ career-related activities. You have learned
about these endeavors and met many of the donors in previous issues of Bloomsburg: The University
Magazine.
In this special issue, we share stories about the It’s Personal campaign and its focus on four areas:
academic scholarships, athletic scholarships, faculty support and professional experiences. As we
head toward the $50 million goal, every gift is important to enhancing educational experiences for
our students today and in the future.
So, again, I say thank you to every individual who has given back to Bloomsburg University in
time, talent or treasure and invite others to join in this ambitious campaign. Together, we will have a
lasting personal impact on the lives of our students.

DAVID SOLTZ
President, Bloomsburg University
Editor’s note: BU President David Soltz regularly offers his opinions on issues in higher
education and his vision for Bloomsburg University at bupresident.blogspot.com.

FEATURES
08

It’s Personal: The Launch

Events kick off the public phase of the
most ambitious fundraising campaign in
BU history.

13 Why It’s Personal
14

Reasons for giving are as individual as
fingerprints. Duane Greenly ’72, chair
of the campaign cabinet, explains.

The Personal Approach

At Bloomsburg University, our story is
our people. That’s also the focus of
It’s Personal.

03 Around the Quad
06 On the Hill
21 Husky Notes
30 Over the Shoulder
32 Calendar of Events

Bloomsburg: The University Magazine is published three times a
year for alumni, students’ families and friends of the university. Bonus
content and back issues may be found at www.bloomu.edu/magazine.
Address comments and questions to:
Bloomsburg: The University Magazine
Waller Administration Building
400 East Second Street
Bloomsburg, PA 17815-1301
Email address: magazine@bloomu.edu
Visit Bloomsburg University on the Web at www.bloomu.edu.

BU WOMEN’S RUGBY CLUB inside center Nicole Snyder blasts past defenders
in a match against Michigan’s Grand Valley State University in the women’s
Division II 15s Rugby nationals. Bloomsburg won the match 78-5.
Celebrating their 20th anniversary, the club earned third in the nation in
women’s Division II 15s Rugby, defeating sides from Rutgers, Ithaca and Vassar
College and falling in a close match to Davenport University. This was the first
time in club history that the team went to the Final Four.

2

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

around THE quad
Tearing Down
the Prison
Walls
SPENCE

STUDENTS ENTERING the criminal
justice field confront a perception that
criminals are violent and aggressive.
A course is tearing down those stereotypes and the societal walls between the
imprisoned and those on the outside.
Incarcerated Women: Rehabilitative
Programming in Women’s Prisons was
offered for the first time in fall 2015 at
the State Correctional Institution (SCI)
Muncy, near Williamsport. BU students
commuted to the prison to attend the
class taught by criminal justice professional John Adami. What makes the experience unique is that their classmates
were incarcerated women serving time
at SCI Muncy.
Adami has more than two decades of
experience in the criminal justice field.
A unit manager at the federal maximum security prison in Lewisburg, he
supervises a group of case managers
and counselors who interact daily with
inmates.

“We’re trying to show university
students what it’s like inside a prison,”
says Adami. “The whole idea is to give
students some hands-on experience.”
Modeled after The Inside-Out
Prison Exchange Program started at
Temple University in 1997, the course is
designed to expose students directly to
various aspects of the prison environment. Inmates and students interact
and collaborate in a classroom setting.
“I look forward to this class every
week. These women are smart, motivated and kind-hearted,” says Brooke
Spence, a junior criminal justice student
from Hellertown. “It really changes
your perspective on the inmates, the
staff and the prison system itself.”
The course exposes BU students to
career opportunities in correctional
facilities, while inmates are given the
opportunity to share their experiences
and prepare for their eventual return to
society.

“They want to know about what it
is like outside of the prison, since a lot
of them have been in there for over 10
years,” says Spence. “When you’re on
the outside, you have this stereotype
that prisons are filled with violent
criminals. In reality, a majority of them
are there for nonviolent crimes and just
want to better themselves and get back
to their families.”
Working alongside prison inmates is
a challenge for students. Spence admits
it is difficult to learn about the struggles
of incarcerated women.
“We do not have the right to judge
these women,” she says. “Being in this
class has reassured me many times that
I am in the right major, and that finding
a career that involves interacting with
inmates, especially women, is what I
want to do.” l
— By Nick Cellucci ’16
Read more at bloomu.edu/magazine.

WINTER 2016

3

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

around THE quad
Military Friendly

VICTORY MEDIA AGAIN RECOGNIZES BU

PHOTO: JAIME NORTH

ONCE AGAIN, BU has earned the title of Military Friendly
School from Victory Media, publisher of GI Jobs magazine.
BU welcomed 71 new military students in fall 2015, bringing
the total to 299. Military students are defined as current and
former military members, their spouses and dependents who
are using benefits.
As a Military Friendly School, BU is ranked in the top 20
percent of colleges, universities and trade schools working to
embrace military service members, veterans and spouses as
students ensuring their success on campus.
To meet the needs of military students, BU provides
preferred class scheduling and has established a military
students lounge. The BU Student Veterans Association offers
opportunities for social and educational activities and is
involved in fundraisers to benefit organizations such as The
Wounded Warrior Foundation and the American Red Cross. l

Vocation Exploration PCM AWARDED $85,000 GRANT
LILLY ENDOWMENT INC. has awarded a grant of nearly
$85,000 to Protestant Campus Ministry (PCM). PCM will use
this grant to fund the Vocation Exploration Initiative at BU
(VEI-BU). VEI-BU, open to all undergraduate students, will
offer experiences and practical tools to help students make
career and life decisions reflective of their faith, values and

unique calling. The program, funded through 2019, will also
bring nationally known speakers to campus each year.
PCM’s partners in this initiative are BU’s Zeigler Institute
for Professional Development and Center for Leadership and
Engagement, Princeton Theological Seminary’s Institute for
Youth Ministry and Bloomsburg area churches. l

Town Government to BU

DAN KNORR ’07 IS DIRECTOR OF EXTERNAL RELATIONS
DAN KNORR ’07 joined BU last fall as director of external and government
relations. Formerly the Borough of Danville’s administrator of government
affairs, Knorr served as mayor of the Town of Bloomsburg from 2008 to 2013
after two years as a member of Bloomsburg’s Town Council.
As director of external and government relations, Knorr serves as an
advocate for the university and Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher
Education. He monitors legislation and public policy, seeks out opportunities
for state and federal funding and economic development, and builds
relationships with higher education organizations, local governments and
other entities.
He fills a vacancy created by the retirement of Jim Hollister ’78. l

4

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Inaugural Fellowships

MarCom Awards

FACULTY RECEIVE INAUGURAL AWARDS

BAUMAN

CLICKARD

PRESIDENT’S REPORT,
MAGAZINE HONORED

GEYFMAN

THREE FACULTY MEMBERS received inaugural fellowships established as a
result of the It’s Personal campaign. Each two-year term includes an annual award
stipend of $2,500 to augment scholarship and create professional and applied
learning opportunities for students.
The faculty honorees and their fellowships are:
• Mark Bauman, associate professor of teaching and learning, Vicki and Jack
Mihalik Fellowship in the College of Education
• Stephen Clickard, professor and chair of music, Jack and Helen Evans
Fellowship in the College of Liberal Arts
• Victoria Geyfman, professor of finance, Michael and Bree Gillespie Fellowship
in the College of Business l

Going to Californium

CHEMISTRY ASSISTANT PROFESSOR,
MENTOR EARN ACS RECOGNITION

A BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY faculty member and
his Florida State University adviser won the Nobel
Laureate Signature Award for Graduate Education
in Chemistry for their work studying the littleknown element californium. Florida State Gregory
POLINSKI
R. Choppin Professor Thomas Albrecht-Schmitt and
his former graduate student Matthew Polinski, now
an assistant professor of chemistry at BU, received the award from the American
Chemical Society (ACS) in recognition of Polinski’s doctoral dissertation research
under Albrecht-Schmitt’s supervision. That thesis work became a major part of
a paper Albrecht-Schmitt authored in Nature Chemistry — with Polinski as a coauthor — on the element californium.
Californium is a man-made, radioactive element known as Cf on the Periodic
Table of Elements. It is also part of what’s called the actinide series, a part of the
periodic table where all of the elements are radioactive. It is a wildly unstable
element, but Albrecht-Schmitt’s team was able to show that it had very unusual
chemistry, marking the beginning of a new type of chemistry not previously
observed. They also found it was extremely resistant to radiation damage, which
could further research on how to develop materials for storing radioactive
elements. Polinski’s work was a key part of that discovery. l

BU’s Vision: 2014 President’s Report
won the MarCom Platinum Award,
administered and judged by the
Association of Marketing and
Communication Professionals.
Approximately 16 percent of entries
won this award. Additionally,
Bloomsburg: The University Magazine
won MarCom’s Gold Award, presented
to approximately 23 percent of entries,
for issues published in fall 2014 and
winter and spring 2015.
One or more of Bloomsburg
University’s publications has been
honored by MarCom every year since
2010. These publications have included
the university Viewbook, Celebrity
Artist Series mailer, Football Campaign
booklet, and Living and Learning
Communities booklet. l

One-Two Test

INSTITUTE WORKS TO SAFEGUARD
ATHLETES’ BRAINS
A HOT TOPIC in athletics today, at
all levels, is the matter of concussions
and their effect on the brain. BU’s new
Institute for Concussion Research
and Service is a collaboration between
interdisciplinary faculty and students
working to better understand
concussions.
Under the supervision of Joseph
Hazzard, assistant professor of
exercise science, the institute has
two main goals: to give medical
professionals a better understanding
of concussions, symptoms and their
outcomes, and to provide a service
to the medical community that will
assist them in making better return-toplay decisions. The two-part portable
testing system, which is unique to BU,
gives Hazzard and his team the ability
to travel to the athletes. The institute
began last fall working with student
athletes from BU and Berwick and
Danville high schools. l

WINTER 2016

5

ON THE HILL

sports

FOR UP-TO-DATE SCORES
AND COVERAGE, GO ONLINE
BUHUSKIES.COM

Hailey Vonasek: Ovarian Cancer Survivor
by TOM McGUIRE
A DIAGNOSIS OF CANCER at any age
is traumatic, but getting that diagnosis a
few months before high school graduation is especially devastating. Senior
Hailey Vonasek from Sparks, Md., faced
that scenario four years ago when she
received the news that she had ovarian
cancer.
In early March 2011, as a senior in
high school, Vonasek suffered discomfort in her lower abdomen while playing
soccer. Her doctor initially thought
she was suffering from a sports hernia
or a cyst. Instead, her symptoms were
caused by a 13-centimeter mass on her
ovaries. A week after having surgery
to remove her ovaries, she learned the
mass was cancerous.
Rather than making carefree high
school memories, Vonasek spent much
of her senior year getting chemotherapy, four rounds every three weeks, at

6

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Franklin Square Hospital in Baltimore,
Md. She lost all of her hair, but still was
able to graduate with her class at Notre
Dame Prep, albeit bald.
“It was scary thinking that I could
die,” says Vonasek, “but then I said ‘I
need to keep a positive outlook on this.’
I think my mom was more scared than
me, but I didn’t want this to affect me.”
Vonasek’s soccer career was put on
hold as she underwent treatments. Her
only workouts came every three weeks,
when she was physically able following
her chemo.
“I was headed to the University of
Rhode Island to play soccer, but ended
up having to take a medical red-shirt,”
Vonasek says. “When the doctors told
me that there was no way I would play
again, I was determined to prove them
wrong.”

Vonasek left Rhode Island after a
short time and enrolled at BU where she
is majoring in exercise science. “Coming
to Bloomsburg was a good fit academically and athletically for me,” Vonasek
says. “Plus it allowed me to be closer to
home for my monthly treatments.”
The first time she played in a game
was very emotional. “I cried after my
first pre-season scrimmage,” Vonasek
adds. “I didn’t think I’d be so emotional,
but it felt so good to be back on the
field.”
Now cancer-free for four years,
Vonasek is looking forward to July 16,
2016, when she hits the five-year mark.
“It’s a date I think about all the time,”
she says. l
Tom McGuire is BU’s director of sports
information.

Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees

THE 34TH ATHLETIC Hall of Fame class includes Dale Sullivan
’61, a two-time Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC)
winner for the wrestling; Michelle Martin Custer ’97, a two-time
All-American for field hockey and 1996 National Player of the Year;
Kim Stamm ’96, BU’s 11th all-time leading scorer for women’s
basketball; Rob Dixon ’99, whose career record of 104-35 for
men’s tennis has ranked him sixth on BU’s all-time list; and
Marcus Nilsson ’99, a 12-time PSAC champion who was Dixon’s
partner in the winningest men’s tennis doubles team in BU history.
More at buhuskies.com
Shown are, from left, seated: Custer and Stamm; and standing:
BU President David Soltz, Sullivan, Dixon, Nilsson and BU Athletic
Director Michael McFarland. l

Champion Scholars
STUDENT-ATHLETES collected prestigious academic
awards during fall 2015. Men’s soccer player Josh Smith,
of Mechanicsburg, was named first team College Sports
Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic
All-America as well as the Pennsylvania State Athletic
Conference (PSAC) Champion Scholar at the men’s soccer
championships. Women’s soccer player Chrissy Hollan, of
Laurys Station, was named second team CoSIDA Academic
All-America, and field hockey player Sam Peters, of Harrisburg, was named Champion Scholar winner at the PSAC
field hockey championships.
• Smith, a junior exercise science major, has a perfect 4.0 GPA.
As a defender, he started in 18 of the 19 games he played during
the season scoring two goals and assisting on two others.
• Hollan, a senior defender, earned a 3.91 GPA in speech
pathology. She is a member of Phi Kappa Phi honor society and
has been recognized as both a BU and PSAC scholar-athlete.
She played and started in all 19 games this season, scored four
goals and was named first team All-PSAC.
• Peters, a junior, is a nursing majoring with a 3.98 GPA. She was
the Huskies’ leading scorer this season with 16 points coming
on a team-high seven goals, while adding two assists.
The PSAC Champion Scholar Awards are modeled after
the NCAA’s Elite 90 award and honor the student-athlete
with the top grade point average who is competing at the
site of each of the PSAC’s 23 team championship finals. l

Ezra Ranco: Home at Last
EZRA RANCO of Collegeville had an
unlikely childhood. He was born into a
family of three children, his dad barely
present. When he was 5, he was put up
for adoption by his birth parents.
“It got to the point where my parents
couldn’t take care of us,” Ranco says, “so
one of us went to live with our grandparents. I was the one that got picked.”
In the span of 11 years, he bounced
from one foster home to another, the
equivalent of 27 foster homes, two hospitals, and a group home facility.
At one point, Ranco had three foster
families within a little over three years.
He met his current parents, Nelson and
Ellen Ranco, when he was 13 and was
officially adopted three years later.
“Of all the things that have happened
in my life, I feel like they’ve all had a
major impact in the course of how my

life has turned out now,” says Ranco.
The red-shirt junior began to play
football his freshman year of high
school and spent his free time on the
field. Football alone was not a coping
mechanism for Ranco, who also ran
track and played basketball. He found
having close relationships with his
adoptive family and friends helped.
As high school came to an end, it was
time for another large transition – college. Ranco chose Bloomsburg University, where he is a criminal justice major,
because both academic and athletic
sides appealed to him.
Ranco, who received the Jahri Evans
Football Endowed Scholarship, praises
the many role models in his life, including coaches. “Coach (Chet) Henicle
told me I had so much more to play for.
Nothing’s really holding me back,” says

Ranco, who was named second team
All-PSAC (Pennsylvania State Athletic
Conference) East in fall 2015 after leading all BU defensive linemen with 38
tackles on the year and seven tackles for
loss, including 5.5 sacks.
With his parents’ support of his athletic and academic endeavors, “I really
have the best of both worlds,” Ranco
says. After graduation, he plans a career
where he can give back what life has
given him. l
— By Dana Shirley ’16

WINTER 2016

7

by TOM SCHAEFFER

“We know it’s an ambitious goal, but we believe it is attainable.”
With those words, Bloomsburg University President David Soltz announced the
public launch of It’s Personal: The Campaign for Bloomsburg University on Oct.
16, 2015.
The $50 million fundraising campaign, the largest in Bloomsburg University’s
history, is about impact, Soltz said, “impact that is personal to you as a donor or
volunteer and personal for the students and faculty members you support.”
The It’s Personal campaign raised nearly $37 million during the private
phase that began July 1, 2010, demonstrating the support of thousands of
alumni and friends. That total reached $38.2 million by Dec. 31, 2015, but, Soltz
acknowledged, “there is still more work to be done.”
8

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

PHOTOS: COLE KRESCH

It’s Personal: The Launch

PHOTO: BROOKE MCCOY

WHY IT’S PERSONAL? Because that’s
Bloomsburg University’s ultimate
goal: to provide a personal educational
experience with a profound impact
each alumnus will carry far beyond
graduation.
Every BU graduate has a story about
his or her BU experience … stories
about new friends, new ideas and
new opportunities that helped shape
them into the people they’ve become.
No matter how different those stories
may be, each reflects the university’s
commitment to preparing students
for personal and professional success.
Through the It’s Personal campaign, BU
is strengthening that commitment.

As the campaign was officially
launched inside a transformed
Nelson Field House on Oct. 16, 2015,
BU President David Soltz and other
speakers made it clear that the goal was
not just to raise $50 million. “Tonight,
we celebrate our opportunity to make
a lasting impact on the lives of current
and future Bloomsburg University
students,” Soltz said.
Then, with the help of Roongo, BU’s
mascot, and several student-athletes,
Soltz shared the result of contributions
received from more than 14,800 donors
during the campaign’s private phase:
nearly $37 million.
The campaign and its priorities also

were introduced at a similar event in
Philadelphia’s Franklin Institute and
an outdoor rally for faculty, staff and
students on the Academic Quadrangle.

Areas of Opportunity

“In 2010, President David Soltz and
Bloomsburg University identified areas
of opportunity where support would
be most effective in helping to elevate
Bloomsburg University to even greater
heights,” said Duane Greenly ’72, chair
of the campaign cabinet. “Tonight, that
vision is coming to fruition with the
launch of the It’s Personal campaign and
its ambitious goal of $50 million.
“The end result of the campaign is

CONTINUES ON NEXT PAGE
WINTER 2016

9

The Carver Hall Bell
The 1-ton bell in the tower of Carver Hall, silent since
Jan. 1, 1989, when it rang to celebrate BU’s 150th
anniversary, started ringing again last October. Featured
on the cover of this issue, the bell now chimes each day
at noon and to signify landmark events connected to the
It’s Personal campaign. Installed in Carver Hall in June
1867, the bell stands today as a symbol of the very powerful
and personal nature of giving. Learn more about the bell’s
history on page 30.
its impact on students: ensuring access
to high-quality faculty, a curriculum
tailored to students’ passions, and
opportunities to help them ease the
debt they may incur throughout their
time here.”
Money raised during the campaign
will be dedicated to funding areas
identified as most beneficial to
current and future students and to
the university’s continued success.
They are: new academic and athletic
scholarships; recruitment, support and
retention of outstanding faculty; and
professional experiences for students.
Key to the success of the It’s Personal
campaign are alumni, friends, parents
and other members of the Bloomsburg
University community whose participation, support and generosity will

10

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

help the university reach its goal.
“Bloomsburg University is fortunate,”
Soltz said, “to have individuals who
share their time, talents and resources
in support of our students.”
The impact of the campaign will
be heard, as well as felt. “After being
silent for nearly 25 years, the bell
located atop Carver Hall has finally
rung again,” Soltz added, explaining
the significance of recent repairs to the
bell located inside the iconic building’s
tower. “Throughout the course of
the campaign, its ringing will serve
as a symbol of the very powerful and
personal nature of giving.”
As the campaign launch event
continued, stories from alumni,
performances by theater students, and
testimonials from supporters illustrated

that It’s Personal is more than just
a campaign theme. The strongest
example came from Courtney Dunn, a
2015 BU graduate and recipient of the
Helen and Ervene Gulley and Ellen
Barker Memorial scholarships.
“Throughout my time as a Husky, I
was fortunate enough to be surrounded
by people who helped raise me up,”
Dunn said. “From the scholarships I
received and the donors who made
those scholarships possible, to the
faculty who mentored me and helped
me find my passion, I know that it’s
these individuals who have helped
shape my life forever.” l
Tom Schaeffer is communications
coordinator for the Bloomsburg
University Foundation.

Theater majors and recent graduates share compelling stories while portraying
scholarship recipients (top). BU mascot Roongo draws admirers during the rally
on the Academic Quadrangle, left. BU President David Soltz addresses the crowd
at the on-campus rally. BU President David Soltz addresses the crowd at the oncampus rally announcing the Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Personal campaign.

12

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Why
It’s
Personal
EACH OF US HAS written our own story with Bloomsburg University and no two stories are alike. The
It’s Personal campaign asks you to look into your heart and recall the details of your unique connection,
your fond recollections, the personal experiences that made you who you are.
I know firsthand how those experiences can change the trajectory of a young person’s life. Having
grown up only a few miles from the campus, then attending and graduating from the university in 1972,
both Bloomsburg University and the town of Bloomsburg have impacted my life tremendously.
It’s that personal impact that helped my wife, Sue, and me decide on our own commitment to the It’s
Personal campaign. We knew we wanted to give back, and we were in agreement that our gift had to
be personal. After exploring our options we discovered that we could make a gift that would have an
impact, not only on the university, but also the community.
With the construction and dedication of the Greenly Center, we had the opportunity to help
strengthen BU’s partnership with the downtown community. It created a new home for the BU
Foundation, added classroom space to the downtown area and established an art gallery where BU
students and faculty can share their work with the public.
Making an impact and creating a legacy that represented our personal connection to the Town of
Bloomsburg and the university – that is what ignited our passion and inspired us to make a difference
though this campaign.
The It’s Personal campaign will continue to transform the educational and personal experiences for
BU students. We are committed to helping students be better prepared for success after graduation by
ensuring they are taught by dedicated faculty and have access to a curriculum tailored to their passions
and opportunities to help ease the debt they may incur.
I encourage you to think about your own BU experiences that helped shape the person you are today.
Through this campaign, we each have the opportunity to create a legacy by passing those experiences
forward to the next generation of Huskies.
The stories that follow illustrate the positive impact of talented faculty, the benefit of scholarships
and the value of giving back to our university in a way that is meaningful – personal – to you.

Duane R. Greenly

WINTER 2016

13

The Personal Approach
Personal (adj): relating to, directed to, or intended for a particular person
It’s Personal (noun): a campaign to enhance the educational experiences
of Bloomsburg University students and support, reward and retain
faculty members; descriptive of each individual’s singular experience with
Bloomsburg University

AT BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY,
each experience is a personal
experience. Ask an alumnus about
memories of the campus, and you will
hear about a one-on-one relationship
with a special faculty member or
lifelong friend. Ask a faculty member to
reflect on her career, and you will hear
about a superior student from decades
ago who continues to share milestones
in his personal life and career. Ask a
student to name someone who brings a
smile or makes a difference every day,
and you will hear about a wonderful
staff member who helped her schedule
a class or someone who keeps her
residence hall spotless.
At Bloomsburg University, our story
is our people. Students. Faculty. Staff.
Alumni. Donors. Friends. Individuals.
So, the name, It’s Personal: The
Campaign for Bloomsburg University, is
a natural.

14

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Focus on Three Areas

The It’s Personal campaign focuses
on three areas: academic and athletic
scholarships, faculty support and
ProfessionalU.
• Academic and Athletic Scholarships:
Bloomsburg University is devoted
to providing high-quality, accessible
education. Today, rising operational
costs and limited public funding put
a heavy financial burden on students
and their families. Scholarships keep
a college education affordable, create
opportunities and help the university
attract the best and brightest
students.
• Faculty Support: Many alumni
attribute their success to dedicated
faculty who mentored them, inspired
them and provided career-building
experiences. Faculty who were
the source of life-changing “aha”
moments. Competition is fierce in
recruiting and retaining talented
educators and distinguished scholars

who thrive on building personal
connections with students. With
investments to aid in recruiting,
retaining and recognizing highachieving, passionate faculty, more
doors will open for student success.
• Professional U: Professional U
is a campus-wide initiative that
provides students with annual
experiential learning opportunities,
including internships, job shadowing,
undergraduate research projects,
international study, service-learning
and alumni networking events.
Financial support for Professional U
helps provide relevant experiences so
all students may develop the strong
skills they need for career success.

Learn More

Bloomsburg University students are
following in your footsteps, pursuing
their own personal paths to their degree.
Learn how you can convey your passion
for BU and impact today’s students at
itspersonal.bloomu.edu l

CAMPOS

KEPNER

Scholarships: Changing Lives
by SUE A. BEARD

SCHOLARSHIPS ARE MORE than
financial rewards for academic
achievement or exceptional talent.
Scholarships change lives.
Some 84 percent of Bloomsburg
University’s full-time undergraduates
receive financial aid, including state and
federal grants and loans. In addition, this
year 765 BU students are benefiting from
nearly $1.4 million in scholarships from
both annual and endowed funds.
Each of their stories is unique. A
sampling:

Elijah Campos

Philadelphia freshman Elijah Campos,
18, and his two older brothers were
being raised by their grandparents until
a private school in central Pennsylvania
changed his life. Founded by the
philanthropic chocolate industrialist,
the Milton Hershey School offers a free
education to children from low-income
families. From second grade until high
school graduation, Campos found a
nurturing, supportive and inspiring
haven that encouraged him to hone his
vocal talents.
“I started singing when I was around
5,” remembers Campos, one of eight
children in his family. “When I sing, it
feels like all the stress in life just goes
away.”
At Hershey, Campos performed in
all of the school’s vocal ensembles,
including the Milton 5, a student group

modeled on the 1960s and ’70s pop and
soul group, the Jackson 5.
“Milton Hershey School set a new
standard for me. It made me want to
achieve more than anyone expected and
taught me responsibility to keep my life
on track, no matter what comes my way.”
A vocal music major with aspirations
of becoming a rapper, R&B and Latinoinfused singer and songwriter, Campos
graduated from Milton Hershey School
with $80,000 in scholarships earned
through academic success and chose
BU in part because his oldest brother,
Eric Campuzano, lives nearby. After
Campos auditioned for admission to
BU, the music department awarded him
the Harold H. and Melba Beck Hyde
Memorial Music Scholarship. He expects
to graduate debt-free in four years.
“Receiving the scholarship will push
me to work harder than ever because I
know someone truly believes in me,” he
says, “and I will not let them down.”

Kim Kepner

The single mother of 5-year-old twin
girls, Kim Kepner, 24, cares for infants
in a day care center while taking social
work classes — a career inspired 10 years
ago by her terminally ill father’s hospice
worker.
A nontraditional student who
graduated from Luzerne County
Community College (LCCC) in May
2014, Kepner, from Berwick, dropped out

of college when she became pregnant in
her freshman year, but never gave up on
her education.
While she relies on loans and a
few grants, the Harold H. and Melba
Beck Hyde Memorial Social Welfare
Scholarship has helped her buy
textbooks, which are not always covered
by financial aid, and to be more flexible
with her work schedule. She received the
one-time $500 award for an essay about
why she chose to major in social work.
On track to earn her bachelor’s degree
in December 2016, she plans to land
a job after graduation and then study
for her master’s degree at Marywood
University. Eventually, she wants to work
in a hospital pediatrics ward, where she
would incorporate the grief counseling
training she’s received as a volunteer at
Camp Courage, a bereavement camp for
children in nearby Millville.
Kepner credits the faculty at LCCC,
who encouraged and supported her
decision to follow her heart and transfer
to BU to become a medical social worker.
And she still remembers vividly the
hospital social worker who was there
for her every day during her dad’s illness
and on the day he died. “If I can make
just one person feel like she made me
feel, I’ve done my job.”l
Sue A. Beard is a retired newspaper
editor and freelance writer based in Fort
Myers, Fla.

WINTER 2016

15

Fulfilling
Dreams
by JACK SHERZER

PHOTO: COLE KRESCH

PHILADELPHIA NATIVE Kimberly
Abney will be the first to tell you
she wasn’t ready for the academic
challenges ahead when she came to
Bloomsburg University. Abney arrived
six weeks before fall classes began
to attend the university’s Act 101/
Educational Opportunity Program,
designed to help students prepare for
college. After earning a 3.0 grade point
average in the summer program, Abney
thought she was ready.
But problems soon arose. She was
a part of a group of girls who always
traveled around campus together,
skipping class and getting into trouble
for pulling pranks, and Abney kept
getting into trouble. Soon, she was on
academic probation with a 0.58 GPA.
“My friends started leaving. The first
one left after the second semester and
three more left the next semester. I
was embarrassed when I had to spend
the summer after my freshman year at
Community College of Philadelphia,”
Abney recalls. “When you start seeing
your friends not completing the goal
we all set out to complete, which was to
obtain a degree, it wakes you up. I knew
I had to shape up.”
Kimberly Abney did “shape up.”
With help from BU’s Academic Support
Services, she maintained a 2.5 GPA and,
in 2009, earned her bachelor’s degree in
psychology – graduating on time with
the rest of her class. She then earned a
master’s degree from Eastern University
in Philadelphia. Today, Abney is a
certified school counselor for a private
charter school in Philadelphia, working
with students in need of emotional
and behavioral support.

16

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

“Scholarships allow us to admit students on
their ability … not their ability to pay.”
— Jerome Dvorak, BU Foundation

Giving Back

Abney never forgot how Bloomsburg
helped her mature and succeed. And
she wanted to give back.
She got her chance through a BU
Named Virtual Endowed Scholarship.
Under the program, donors give four
annual gifts of at least $1,000 for a
student scholarship and commit to
a minimum deferred/planned gift of
$25,000 for a permanent endowment.
Donors can select eligibility criteria for
recipients, such as a field of study.
Abney’s scholarship will be given to a
student who, like her, attended the Act
101/EOP and has a GPA of at least 2.5.
She’ll be able to read the application
essays and see firsthand the good she
is doing. The Kimberly Abney College
Fund will make its first award of $1,000
in 2017.
“There may be students struggling
the way I did, and knowledge of this
scholarship may give them a goal
and something to work toward,”
says Abney, who financed her own
education through loans. “I want to give
something back.”
In the wake of decreasing public
funding for higher education, the
Virtual Endowment program is one
way BU is offering for all alumni – even
those, like Abney, who are just starting
their careers – to get involved and help
students.
It’s the direct connection between
alumni and students that is at the heart
of It’s Personal: The Campaign for
Bloomsburg University, a $50 million
fundraising effort. A key part of the It’s
Personal campaign is letting the Husky
community know that gifts of all sizes
are significant.
“A $1,000 scholarship can have
a meaningful impact on a student’s

life,” says Jerome Dvorak, executive
director of the Bloomsburg University
Foundation, which oversees the It’s
Personal campaign. “It can be the
difference between someone attending
or being forced to drop out.”

New challenges

When Pennsylvania’s State System of
Higher Education was formed in 1983,
made up of Bloomsburg and 13 sister
institutions, 65 percent of all funding
came from the state. Today, that figure
has dropped to 25 percent while costs –
to universities and students alike – have
increased.
“In the 1970s a student could work in
the summer and earn enough to attend
school in the fall. That’s not the case
anymore,” Dvorak says. The current
annual in-state tuition is $17,806 and the
average student graduates with $29,661
in debt. “Scholarships allow us to admit
students on their ability … not their
ability to pay.”
To make a significant impact, Dvorak
says, an annual scholarship should
provide at least $1,000 each year. That
requires a minimum endowment of
$25,000 to ensure adequate interest
to cover the scholarship. Setting up a
named endowment is frequently a part
of estate planning.
For the It’s Personal campaign,
however, BU wants to increase its
endowment while immediately
recognizing donors, so the BU
Foundation pioneered the Virtual
Endowment. “We started testing the
concept of Virtual Endowments three
years ago as a way donors could see the
good the money is doing right now,”
Dvorak says. “And the deferred $25,000
gift ensures their philanthropic legacy
will continue.”

Using the same gift guidelines,
BU created the Virtual Professional
Experience Grants. These grants
support students taking part in
internships, research projects and
international study.
BU is also using the power of the
Internet with the BU Foundation’s
new crowdfunding site, TakeActionBU.
Donors can support various projects
and causes and leave messages for the
students they’re helping.
“I like to tell people that I’m in the
business of fulfilling dreams,” Dvorak
says, “donor’s dreams to help someone
and student’s dreams to graduate.”

Stepping up

For Abney, the opportunity to go to
Bloomsburg changed her life.
“Bloomsburg is such a good university
– I met some great people who are still
in my life,” says Abney, 28. “I knew I
wanted to give back. Someone told me
that I’m probably the youngest person
funding a scholarship.”
Abney’s plans to help students go
beyond her scholarship. She wants
to create a mentoring program called
TGIF – Thank Goodness I’m Female –
to help others overcome the issues she
and her friends faced as they adjusted to
a college environment.
“I’m grateful to Bloomsburg,” Abney
says. “Bloomsburg helped me get to
where I am today and made me who I
am today.” l
Jack Sherzer is a professional writer
and principal partner with Message
Prose, a communications and public
relations firm in Harrisburg.

How to help

To learn how you can show your
Husky pride and directly help
students through It’s Personal: The
Campaign for Bloomsburg, go to
itspersonal.bloomu.edu

WINTER 2016

17

PHOTOS: ERIC FOSTER

The Good Life
by SUSAN FIELD

ON A TYPICAL DAY in the fall semester,
psychology professor Mary Katherine
Waibel Duncan teaches five classes in a
row. Instead of feeling exhausted, Waibel
Duncan feels energized.
“You’d think by 2 p.m., I’d be done,
but instead, I’m like, ‘What else do you
have for me?’ Teaching fills me up,”
says Waibel Duncan, who has taught at
Bloomsburg University for 15 years.
Waibel Duncan’s joy for teaching,
and her emphasis on good character
and service-based learning, has not only
inspired her students, but has made
her their role model — both inside and
outside the classroom.
Waibel Duncan was named the first
Joan and Fred Miller Distinguished
Professor of Good Work, which
recognizes her accomplishments and
provides funding that can be used for
research or to advance a project focusing
on good work. Faculty support, along
with scholarships and Professional U,

18

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

“I will always remember
Dr. Duncan as a professor
who helped me develop
the foundations on which
I will build the rest of my
academic, professional
and personal life.”
— Ashley Schoener ’15
is a focus of the It’s Personal campaign.
She also was selected in spring 2015 for
a Teaching and Learning Enhancement
(TALE) Outstanding Teacher award,
after being nominated by students.
“When she begins teaching, all eyes
turn to her and you’re enraptured. She
takes a simple subject and immerses you
so thoroughly that you’re not staring
at the clock or glancing at your phone,
because you might miss something,” says

Mary McCauley, who graduated in May
2015 with degrees in psychology and
criminal justice. “Aside from her abilities
as a teacher, she’s an amazing person.
From her unshakable stance on ethics, to
her commitment to her students and her
family, she’s the type of person everyone
wishes to see more of in the world.”
In the classroom and through the
university’s Good Work Initiative, a
project focused on student excellence,
ethics and engagement, Waibel Duncan
champions the idea that “a noble end,
without a noble means, is not noble.”
“We live in a world where people cut
corners to get to the top first. I want my
students to know that success without
coming by it honestly, without earning
it through merit, is not good work,” says
Waibel Duncan. “I want my students to
be successful in whatever they do but,
more than that, I hope they are people of
good character.”
Cary Tessein, who graduated in

Mary Katherine Waibel Duncan, the first recipient of the Joan and Fred Miller Distinguished Professor of Good Work, third
from left, is congratulated by, from left, the Millers and BU President David Soltz.

December 2015 with a degree in
psychology, calls Waibel Duncan one of
the most influential professors she’s ever
had.
“The thoughtful way in which Dr.
Duncan taught class not only allowed me
to learn the incredible field of positive
psychology, but it caused me to think
about myself as a student and grow as a
person,” she says.
Ashley Schoener, also a 2015
psychology graduate, hopes to emulate
Waibel Duncan as she furthers her
career. “I hope to one day display the
degree of class and intellect upon
which she carries herself. I will always
remember Dr. Duncan as a professor
who helped me develop the foundations
on which I will build the rest of my
academic, professional and personal
life,” says Schoener, now enrolled in the
University of North Dakota’s master’s
program in counseling psychology.
Waibel Duncan’s positive contributions
extend beyond the classroom to the

greater campus community. In 2011, she
founded the university’s Toy Library,
which offers hundreds of toys, games
and puzzles designed to teach literacy to
students of all ages and developmental
abilities. The library’s resources are
available for volunteer work, service
learning, internships, teaching and
clinical work.
She was inspired to start the Toy
Library after her son was diagnosed
with an autism spectrum disorder. “The
doctors said my son may not develop
functional language but, through play,
he’s developed it,” Waibel Duncan says.
“I had to unleash the power of play in
homes and schools.”
Last spring Waibel Duncan, along
with her psychology colleague Jennifer
Johnson and a team of undergraduates,
completed three community service
projects for the literacy initiative,
Handmade Literacy for Our Hometown.
The National Honor Society of Phi Kappa
Phi Literacy Award funded the projects.

“I never before felt as though I was
making meaningful contributions to my
field and the community at large,” says
Laurie Ganey ’15, who helped with the
projects and is now a graduate assistant
in California University of Pennsylvania’s
school psychology master’s program. “I
hope to never forget the way that Dr.
Duncan inspired me to be a better person
than I ever thought possible.”
Though her students say Waibel
Duncan inspires them, the reverse is also
true.
“Some of the most pivotal moments in
my career came from working one-onone with students,” Waibel Duncan says.
“In this profession, you have eyes on you
at all times, and that motivates me to do
outstanding work in the most ethical way
possible.” l
Susan Field ’11/’12M is a freelance
writer based in Philadelphia.

WINTER 2016

19

Everyone has a story. Tell us yours!
Personal Stories

Professional Stories

Athletic Stories

Academic Stories

Join us as we celebrate the life-changing, profound impact of Bloomsburg
University. We’re collecting stories. Stories of first-generation college
students. Dedicated faculty members. Record-setting student-athletes.
Successful alumni. Together these personal experiences illustrate the value
of a Bloomsburg University education.

SEAN ROTH AND PAUL ROSA met in 2010 in the offices of BUNow,
a student-run news and information website, and immediately
formed a connection talking about sports. Five years later, the 2013
graduates are business partners who founded Sploops, the first video
sports forum for mobile application. The social media app was
released in the Apple App Store in November 2015.
“We loved calling in to radio talk shows and posting in online
forums,” says Rosa, a mass communications graduate. “We saw
mobile on the horizon and said, ‘Let’s create a website and a mobile
app and evolve the sports forum into something better.’ ”
“Our app allows people to get on the phone on a whim and rant
about something that just happened,” says Roth, who earned a
bachelor’s degree in management. “Whether it be their favorite team
losing or winning … someone getting hurt … a big trade. It captures
that emotion then and there better than any text or radio can.”
The friends came up with the concept for Sploops during a
brainstorming session in Andruss Library and their idea took off,
capturing third place in the Pennsylvania State System Business
Plan Competition and first place in the Keystone Innovation Zone
Competition. The prize money, along with their own funds, provided
seed money and concept validation, which led to a beta website with
150 users. In 2014, they decided to bring the concept to mobile.
“There was $138 left in the business bank account when we
presented the concept to BU alumni,” says Rosa. “The connections
we made led to a $115,000 investment.”
“Once you get that funding, it accelerates everything. We knew
that was going to propel us to the next point,” Roth adds.

Why Sploops?

The app’s name is derived from the original design for the Sploops
website that featured a spinning combination lock to represent
Rosa and Roth’s vision of sports loops. It was christened early in the
business plan competition process.
“We’ve had a lot of controversy about the name,” says Rosa. “I
think that’s why we love it so much.”
A launch party for Sploops was scheduled on campus in late
January. l
Learn more about Sploops at bloomu.edu/magazine or sploops.com

WINTER 2016

21

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

husky notes
’60s
John Murtin ’65 was recognized at
the 2015 Little League Baseball World
Series as the Little League Volunteer of
the Year. Before his retirement in 2004,
Murtin was a social studies teacher in the
Mahanoy Area School District (MASD),
principal of the Mahanoy Area Middle
School and MASD superintendent.

’70s
Gayle Thorpe Baar ’71 retired after 19
years as a Texas public school librarian.
Jim Doyle ’72 published the book, The
Best Seat in the House: My 48 Years in
Local Sports Broadcasting. The hardcover
book contains BU sports history,
including game descriptions; features
on former coaches Danny Hale, Charlie
Chronister and Jan Hutchinson; and
access to 74 audio clips. Available at
bestseatdoyle7@gmail.com.
Edward Krzykwa ’72 of Chiropractic
Family Practice, Vicksburg, is accepting
patients into the new natural health
care method, Positive Polarity Therapy.
Krzykwa has been in practice for 39
years.
Richard Jarman ’73 is chairman of
the board of directors for the National
Advanced Mobility Consortium (NAMC).
NAMC is a nationwide alliance of small
businesses, large defense contractors,
academic institutions and other
research organizations involved with the
translational research and development
of prototype, ground vehicle and robotics
systems and technologies.
Douglas Yocom ’73 is president and
CEO at Precision Medical Products Inc.,
Northampton. The firm was honored as
a Best Places to Work in Pennsylvania
for 2015 by the Central Penn Business
Journal. For more than 50 years, PMP
has provided engineering, manufacturing

22

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

and contract packaging of medical
devices.
Steven P. Keifer ’74 retired as
superintendent of Hamburg Area School
District. Keifer completed 41 years of
service to public education including
33 years in the Danville Area School
District as teacher and superintendent.
Keifer volunteers with the United Way of
Berks County, is president of Our Town
Foundation, a Hamburg area economic
development organization, and works
with the Hamburg Area Education
Foundation.
Thomas Williams ’74 serves on the
board of directors of Berks Encore.
A partner in Senior Family Wealth
Guardians and CEO of ParenteBeard
Wealth Management, Williams has
written articles for financial advisory
journals and given presentations on
financial planning and tax matters. He
is a Certified Public Accountant and a
certified financial planner. Williams and
his wife, Dawn, reside in Mohnton with
their daughter, Faith.
Carl Bilotta ’75 was commissioned by
the Lakeland School District to paint
murals on the school’s walls. Bilotta
retired after more than 30 years of
teaching fourth grade in the district.
William Patrick Martin ’75 recently
published Wonderfully Wordless: The 500
Most Recommended Graphic Novels and
Picture Books. His trilogy of best book
guides began with A Lifetime of Fiction
and The Mother of All Booklists, both
issued in 2014. Martin is also the editor
of four books of liberal quotations.
Robert B. Meeker ’75 retired as
emeritus professor of library science
from Chicago State University after 35
years of service. Meeker received three
Faculty Excellence Awards and wrote
more than 25 publications.
Sandra Millard ’75 is interim vice
provost and director of libraries at the
University of Delaware. She attended
the Harvard Leadership Institute

for academic librarians, chaired the
Governor’s Task Force on School
Libraries and is a member of the
American Library Association, Library
Administration and Management
Association and Library Information
Technology Association.
Richard White ’78 retired from Global
Geophysical Services, Houston, Texas,
where he was president, CEO and a
member of the board of directors.
Diane Teel Flyte ’79 retired from the
Pen Argyl Area School District after
teaching business and computer courses
for 35 years.
Michelle Hopkins ’79 retired from
Montoursville Area High School after
36 years with the district. Hopkins
taught English, speech and journalism
and served as English department
chairperson, Peer Helper founder and
adviser, student assistance professional
team member and chair, junior high girls’
basketball coach, and Scholastics Writing
Contest scorer.

’80s
Mark Derr ’81 is the administrator
of York County. He was previously
the regional service group manager of
financial services for HRG Inc., and
manager of York Township. He and his
wife live in East Manchester Township,
and have three adult children.
Brian Mahlstedt ’81 is first senior
vice president, senior lending officer
at First National Community Bank
(FNCB), Dunmore. He oversees FNCB’s
commercial lending and business
development teams and develops and
manages business relationships with
the bank’s commercial customers in
Northeastern Pennsylvania. President
of the Deutsch Foundation and past
President of the Abington Youth
Basketball League, he resides in Clarks
Summit.

Sherry Bartlett Griggs ’82 is the
superintendent of the Sayre Area
School District. Griggs previously was
a principal in the Loyalsock School
District.
Joseph Di Gangi ’83 is president of
ELANA Financial and Settlement
Architects, Easton. Di Gangi is a certified
financial planner.
Judith Mariotz Maloy ’84 is chief
executive officer and managing director
of Polaris Direct, a New Hampshire mail
processing firm. Business NH Magazine
named Polaris Direct one of the top
women-led businesses in the state in two
categories: 17th on the list of the top 20
fastest growing women-led companies
and 10th out of the top 80 women-led
businesses.
Melanie Berger
Wiscount ’84 was
nominated for the
Presidential Award
in Excellence in
Mathematics and
Science Teaching
Award. Wiscount earned a doctorate in
educational leadership with an expertise
in educational technology from Wilkes
University in June 2015.
Christine Kuperavage Zanis ’84 is
vice president and senior trust officer at
Riverview, Halifax and Marysville banks.
Zanis oversees trust business
development, administration and
operations.

William Covert ’85 is chief financial
officer of Stephano Slack, Wayne.
Covert is a Certified Public Accountant
and chartered global management
accountant and earned personal financial
planning certification. He is a member
of the American Institute of Certified
Public Accountants and Pennsylvania
Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Sandra J. Breznitsky Sackrison ’85
is the radiology system service line
administrator at Vidant Medical Center,
Greenville, N.C. She received her
doctorate in health sciences from Nova
Southeastern University. She lives in
Edenton, N.C., with her husband, Jeffrey,
and two children.
Diane McElhiney Esposito ’87 is
associate dean for graduate nursing
programs at Palm Beach Atlantic
University in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Donna Snyder ’87M is executive
director of Student Services Inc. (SSI) at
West Chester University. SSI manages
the campus bookstore, the Ram e-card
program, and check-cashing and
ticket services, as well as providing
financial services in support of student
organizations, student publications,
student programming, athletics and the
graduate student association.

Carol Aranos Fastrich ’88 is assistant
vice president of marketing and
communications of the Pennsylvania
Credit Union Association. She has
more than 20 years of communications
and marketing experience, 15 of them
focused on credit unions.
Aaron Menapace
’88 was named the
2015 Berks County
Interscholastic Athletic
Association (BCIAA)
Athletic Director of the
Year. Menapace, athletic
director at Hamburg Area School
District, is certified as a master
athletic administrator by the National
Interscholastic Athletic Administrators
Association. He serves as president of
the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic
Association District 3 Athletic Director’s
Association and treasurer of the Berks
County Athletic Director’s Association,
and sits on the BCIAA Board of Control.
He is certified by the American Sport
Education Program. Menapace resides
in Mohrsville with his wife, the former
Stephanie Jepko ’95, and their two
children.
Dana Kiessling Moser ’89 is
general manager of rabbittransit’s
Northumberland County transportation
division. Moser oversees operations in
Elysburg, which provides nearly 500
paratransit trips a day. She has more than
25 years’ experience in transportation
and operations.

Mulka, Breiner join Foundation Board
JACK MULKA ’66, long-time BU administrator, and Ed
Breiner ’77, retired CEO of Schramm Inc., are the newest
members of the Bloomsburg University Foundation Board.
Mulka, whose BU career ran from 1968 to his retirement in
2002, served his alma mater as director of student activities,
director of Kehr Union, dean of student development, dean of
academic support services and special assistant for university
advancements. For his service, Mulka was awarded BU’s
Martin Luther King Humanitarian Award and the BU Alumni
Association’s distinguished alumnus award. He is married
to the former Kathy Matzko ’68, who retired from BU’s
admissions office.
Breiner began his career as a cost accountant at Ingersoll
Rand. Twenty-two years later, he finished his career as vice

MULKA

BREINER

president and branch manager of an Ingersoll-Rand sales
and service facility in Harrisburg. He joined Schramm Inc.,
a global design and manufacturer of mobile rotary drilling
equipment, in 2000 and retired in 2014 as president and CEO.
He is married to the former Julie Miller, who also graduated
from BU in 1977.

WINTER 2016

23

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

husky notes
’90s
Bret Lieberman ’90 is vice president
for North America at New Holland.
Previously head of New Holland’s
North American manufacturing unit,
he began working for the firm in 1990
in the service parts division. He also
held positions in purchasing, human
resources, quality management and hay
tools production.
Wendi Maio Achey ’91 is professor of
business marketing at Northampton
Community College, Bethlehem. Achey
was previously employed at B. Braun as
a marketing manager and at Integrated
Biosciences as the director of marketing
and advertising. She won an ADDY
Award, which is presented to designers
in the advertising field.
Michael Smith ’91 opened a new
eatery in Bloomsburg, Smitty’s Steaks.
Previously, Smith worked as a chef and
manager at Ridgway’s and Rose Marie’s,
both in the Bloomsburg area.
Duane Carey ’92 was appointed to
Governor Hogan’s One Maryland Blue
Ribbon Commission to help streamline
state procurement policy. Carey is
president of Maryland Business for
Responsive Government, an organization
that educates Maryland’s business and
political communities and the public
on matters related to business and job
growth, and IMPACT Marketing and
Public Relations, which recently won
SmartCEO’s 2016 Future 50 award for
fastest growing Baltimore companies.
Brian Ralph ’92 is
president of William
Peace University,
Raleigh, N.C. Ralph
previously served as vice
president for enrollment
management at Queens
University of Charlotte, N.C. He’s served
as a part-time senior associate consultant
with Ruffalo Noel Levitz since 1999,
specializing in strategic enrollment

24

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

planning. Ralph and his wife, Kristen,
have three daughters.

Paul Cutrufello ’98 is an associate
professor at the University of Scranton.

Keely Walsh Mahan ’92 is a teacher at
Davis Elementary, Southampton.

Lyndell Davis ’98 is principal of Truman
High School, Levittown. Previously
vice principal of Hopewell Valley
Central High School in New Jersey,
Davis was named National Association
of Secondary School Principals’ New
Jersey Assistant Principal of the Year and
New Jersey Supervisors and Principals
Association’s Visionary Leader of
the Year in 2014. Prior to Hopewell,
Davis was assistant principal at Upper
Moreland High School in Montgomery
County.

Todd Neuhard ’92 is assistant to the
superintendent, secondary education,
in the Lower Dauphin School District.
Neuhard previously was principal
of Lower Dauphin High School and
principal and assistant principal of
Central Dauphin East High School.
Joseph Lettiere ’94 is vice president
of CAN DO Inc., Greater Hazleton’s
economic development organization.
Lettiere previously was an economic
development specialist, marketing
director and vice president of marketing.
Patricia Marr Cross Coleman ’95 is
superintendent of the Sullivan County
School District.
Susan Dresher
Cunningham
’96 joined Keller
Williams Real Estate
in Montgomeryville,
specializing in residential
real estate in Montgomery
and Bucks counties.
Kara Gordon Seesholtz ’96 is director
of donor relations and communications
for The Central Susquehanna Community Foundation. Seesholtz, who has
been with the foundation since 2004,
lives in Mifflinville with her husband and
two children.
Jennifer Dreisbach Bumgardner ’97
is senior director, Doctivity, Physician
Optimization and Data, at SystemCare
Health in Moorestown, N.J.
Christie Van Horn Livengood ’97 is
distribution manager with the Power
Packs Project, Lancaster. Power Packs
provides weekend food and nutritional
information to families when the school
lunch program is not available.

Keith Eopechino ’98 is the assistant
director of admissions at Penn State
Harrisburg.
David Manbeck ’98 is president-elect
of the South Central Chapter of the
Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public
Accountants. Manbeck is a director with
Boyer and Ritter CPAs and specializes in
nonprofit organizations.
Brandon Ortman ’98 vice president/
commercial lending officer of First
Columbia Bank and Trust Co., graduated
from the American Bankers Association
Stonier Graduate School of Banking in
Philadelphia. Ortman began his banking
career in 1999. He serves as treasurer
of the Columbia Child Development
Program and is on the boards of the
Columbia Child Development Program
and the Columbia County Traveling
Library Authority.
Jeremy Kipp ’99 is Boise State’s
women’s swimming and diving head
coach. Kipp spent the past eight seasons
on the staff of University of Southern
California’s men’s and women’s
programs.
Ryan Moran ’99 is assistant to the
superintendent for curriculum and
instruction for pre-K to fifth grade at
East Stroudsburg Area School District.
Moran and his wife, Lori, have two
children, Cayden and Brynley.

James Murray ’99 was named High
School Teacher of the Year at the St.
Francis Indian School, a private school on
the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South
Dakota. St. Francis Indian School enrolls
200 students in ninth through 12th grades.

Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, near
Berwick. He has been employed 13 years
at the electric station.
Robert Pretopapa ’02 is
a wealth adviser at One
Financial Services, with
offices in Allentown and
Bethlehem.

’00s
Robyn Defelice ’00 is director of
internships and experiential learning in
the Center for Professional Development
and Career Experience at Bloomsburg
University.

Shelton DuVall ’03 is the director of
recruiting at Northwestern Human
Services (NHS), Lafayette Hill. NHS is the
nation’s largest and human services and
behavioral health care provider.

Louis Starzl ’00 is group controller for
High Hotels Ltd. Starzl previously was the
director of finance at Hollywood Casino at
Penn National Race Course.

Crystal Skotedis ’03 was
selected as a Woman of
Influence by the Central
Pennsylvania Business
Journal. She is a director
at Boyer and Ritter, Camp
Hill, where she manages
financial services.

Jennifer Rossi Lauver ’01 is senior vice
president and audit director at Fulton
Financial Corp. She joined Fulton in 2013,
most recently working as vice president
and audit director.
Alison Zeisloft Thompson ’01 is
assistant principal at Springhouse Middle
School in the Parkland School District,
Allentown.
Gerard Donadi ’02 is licensed by the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission to be
a control room reactor operator at the

has been in the banking industry for nine
years, and began her career with West
Milton State Bank in 2012.
Andrew Besancon ’05 is global sales
manager at NinjaTek, Manheim, where
he works with the power transmission
and conveying industry and additive
manufacturing.
Pamela Collier ’06M is an ad
representative at The News-Item,
Shamokin.
Lynn Warmkessel Freeze ’06M is a
Danville High School alumni honoree for
outstanding lifetime achievement and
community service. Freeze is a deacon
in her church and served as a medical
missionary in Honduras.
Mark McHugh ’06 is an administrative
specialist at Regional Hospital of
Scranton. McHugh is attending the Jay S.
Sidhu School of Business and Leadership
at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre. He
is a member of the Eastern Pennsylvania
Healthcare Executive Network.
Anthony Keffer ’06 is vice president
and general manager at The Sportsman’s
Shop in East Earl, where he oversees
daily retail operations and buying. Keffer
previously was the firm’s manager with
shared buying responsibility. He resides in
Ephrata with his wife, Jessica.

CFOs Honored
RICHARD KING ’86, treasurer and
chief financial officer for Schlouch
Inc., Blandon, was among top financial
executives honored by the Lehigh Valley Business Journal. King was named
2015 CFO of the Year for private
companies with revenue over $25
million. Three other BU graduates,
Mark Singley ’82, Neil Cooper ’84 and
Marianne Nastasiak Kitzmiller ’88/’99,
were finalists.
King worked for Kreischer, Miller
& Co., Toll Brothers and Beard Miller
Corp. before joining Schlouch in 1998.
Schlouch leadership nominated King
for helping to lead the construction
company through the recent financial

KING

SINGLEY

crisis, implementing changes in business practices and systems.
Singley, vice president of finance
and chief financial officer, Convergent,
Bethlehem, was a finalist in the category for private companies with revenue
up to $25 million; Cooper, chief financial officer, Pocono ProFoods, Strouds-

KITZMILLER

burg, was a finalist in the category for
private companies with revenue over
$25 million; and Kitzmiller, executive
director for finance and administration,
First Presbyterian Church of Allentown,
was a finalist in the Best Turnaround
Specialist category.

WINTER 2016

25

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

husky notes
Gina Ormont Sabo ’06 is a technology
integration specialist for St. Joan of
Arc Elementary/Middle School of the
Archdiocese of Baltimore.
Jahri Evans ’07 joined Philadelphia
Soul’s ownership group as part of the
Arena Football League. Evans is a New
Orleans Saints’ offensive lineman and
Philadelphia native. His Philadelphiabased foundation, JEF, focuses on helping
student athletes further their education
and athletic careers.
Jo’nelle Smith Fetzer ’07 is a client
services representative with Hartman
Group, Williamsport. She is responsible
for coordinating renewal processing,
developing medical cost and benefit
comparisons, and facilitating solutions
to claims and billings issues to support
clients. She lives in Milton with her
husband and their two children.
Nicholas Fox ’07 has been chosen for
research at Oxford University. He earned
his master’s and doctoral degrees from
Texas A&M.
Joette Leshinski ’07 was a contestant on
Wheel of Fortune. Leshinski, who lives in
Los Angeles, works behind the scenes in
entertainment productions and lends her
voice talents to the production of audio
books.
Jillian Ibbs ’08, marketing coordinator
for the Larson Design Group, coordinated
the firm’s Daniel C. Baker 125th anniversary celebration, which received a
2015 Marketing Excellence Award from
The Zweig Group. The Zweig awards
recognize effective marketing in the
architecture, engineering, planning and
environmental consulting industry.
Kelly Renner ’08 received a Master of
Arts in Urban Education from The New
Jersey City University. Renner has been
a kindergarten teacher for eight years at
Public School #6 in West New York.
Tristan Zelinka ’08 is a guidance
counselor at Solanco High School,
Quarryville.

26

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Sarah Lenig ’09 is a sales associate at
RE/MAX EDGE of Danville. She has
taught middle school reading in the Line
Mountain School District for the past
five years.
Laura McCourt ’09 attended her white
coat ceremony during her first year as
a student at West Virginia School of
Osteopathic Medicine, Lewisburg,
W. Va. She received a master’s degree
from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic
Medicine.
Travis Petty ’09 is an attorney with
Marinos and Knecht, Berwick. Petty is a
graduate of Widener University’s School
of Law.

’10s
Alison Carney ’10 is head coach of the
women’s tennis program at Susquehanna
University, Selinsgrove. Carney previously served as an assistant coach for
Susquehanna’s men’s and women’s tennis
programs.
Michael Hamlin ’10 is assistant
men’s basketball coach at Bloomsburg
University. Hamlin returned to BU after
one year as an assistant at Mansfield
University.
Brett Jacobs ’10, a Naval Supply Systems
Command (NAVSUP) Fleet Logistics
Center (FLC) Norfolk officer, was selected
for the NAVSUP Internship Program.
Jacobs, who has been in the Navy for four
years, was selected for a Navy Acquisition
Contracting (NACO) internship.
Alicia Kittle-Burk ’10/’15AuD joined
Hear PA Audiology as an audiologist.
Kittle-Burk serves clients at the firm’s
six locations.
Roobhen Smith ’11 is principal at St.
Joseph Center for Special Learning,
Pottsville. Smith lives in Summit Hill with
his wife, Harmony, and son. Previously, he
was the dean of students at Pius X Junior/
Senior School in Bangor.

Kenneth Lawson ’12 is senior credit
analyst, Hudson Valley Loan Production
Office, Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Lawson was
previously with Sussex Bank in Rockaway
as a credit analyst. He received the 2014
Sussex Bank President’s Award.
Kathryn Pavlick ’12 is the girl’s tennis
coach at MMI Preparatory School in
Freeland. She is a fourth grade teacher at
Freeland Elementary/Middle School.
Patrick Halcovage ’13 completed
an internship with the Montgomery
Township Police Department. He is
a graduate of Montgomery County
Community College Police Academy.
Sara Huff ’13 is the teen librarian at
The William Jeanes Memorial Library,
Lafayette Hill. Huff heads the library’s
Youth Advisory Board, Teen Reading
Lounge and other programs and activities.
Cassidy Sherman ’14 is a general
assignment reporter for the Bedford
Gazette, Hollidaysburg. Sherman writes
a blog titled, Would You Like Some Cheese
With Your Wine? Previously, she was a
social media coordinator with EZTbUse.com.
Kathryn Saulinas ’15 is a marketing
associate at the Elmwood Park Zoo,
Norristown.

Vice president named
SCOTT BEHRENT ’82 joined
Merchants Insurance Group
as regional vice president for
the company’s New England
regional office in Manchester,
N.H.
Behrent has more than 27
years of property and casualty,
underwriting and claims
experience, most recently as
director of commercial underwriting services with a
regional property and casualty carrier based in New
York. Most of his professional experience focused on
the needs of clients in New England.
A resident of Massachusetts, Behrent earned
the Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter
(CPCU) and Associate in Claims (AIC) insurance
designations.

the line up

Memorial golf tournament

PHI SIGMA XI fraternity brothers from the 1960s and ’70s dedicated
their summer 2015 golf outing at Sugarloaf Golf Club, Conyngham, in
memory of fraternity brother Gerry “Hoss” Edwards ’71. Golfers raised
$2,000 in Edwards’ memory for the Norman L. Hilgar Scholarship,
which benefits students in the College of Business. Edwards was an
organizer and participant in the outing that has taken place for more
than 20 years.

TOUR DE PINK: BU alumni, from left, Adam
Black ’07, Shawn Venesky ’07, Michael Gillespie
’95 and Greg Orth ’95, set off with 200 other
cyclists on the Tour de Pink, benefiting the
Young Survival Coalition (YSC), which provides
support to women with breast cancer. The
three-day, 244-mile bike tour took the riders
from Frazer, outside of Philadelphia, through
Maryland and Delaware and culminated south of
Rehoboth Beach, Del. Each rider raised at least
$2,500 with every dollar going directly to the
YSC. Gillespie says he logged more than 1,200
miles on his bike over the summer to prepare for
the challenge.

magazine@bloomu.edu
Bloomsburg: The University Magazine
Waller Administration Building
400 East Second Street
Bloomsburg, PA 17815-1301

WINTER 2016

29

over THE shoulder
A Bell for Institute Hall
by Robert Dunkelberger

IT HAS BEEN 150 YEARS since
that day in March 1866 when an
educator of many years’ experience
came to Bloomsburg and, convinced
to stay, announced plans to reopen
the Bloomsburg Literary Institute.
A man of drive and determination,
Henry Carver tapped into the spirit
of a community desperate for greater
educational opportunities and raised
$25,000 in donations from the
townspeople. This financial support
enabled him to construct a new
building, which was dedicated on April
3 and 4, 1867. Originally called Institute
Hall, it was formally named Carver
Hall in 1927.
However, Institute Hall lacked a
feature important to Carver: a bell
for its tower. This time, he turned to
three of his students, David Waller Jr.,
George Elwell and Charles Unangst, to
raise the needed funds.
Waller gave the following account in
a 1939 interview:
The story of the bell was more (a
story) of the amazing magnetism of
Henry Carver. His philosophy was
that the individual could accomplish
whatever he set out to do, if
sufficiently determined. He had all the
boys who expected to go on to college
imbued with that idea.
It was just after the new building had
been dedicated. The term had closed.
Examinations were over. It was a
Saturday morning [April 13] and we
looked forward to the opening the
following Monday of our last term of

30

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Presbyterian Church have good bells.
We want one just as good, if not better.
Now, hustle along and raise that
money today for the bell. You three
can do it. It will cost $1,200, at least.”

David Waller Jr., 91, rings the bell on Alumni Day, May
21, 1938. He helped raise funds to purchase the bell
71 years earlier.

school here before leaving for college.
The three of us were walking together
up Main Street. At the Episcopal
Church corner we met Professor
Carver, coming down town.
We stopped to talk. There was nothing
we enjoyed more than being with him.
“Well, there’s the new building and
there’s the tower, boys,” he said. “But
there is no bell in it. Now, we have to
have a bell — and a good one. We want
no cheap bell. The courthouse and the

That was a jolt just as we thought
ourselves tired and needing relaxation.
But we took the counsel of the father
of one of us. He gave us some good
advice. We started out. We began to
get subscriptions. It wasn’t long before
the word was noised about town that
we were out to raise the money for the
bell in a one-day drive. The little town
became interested. As the hours wore
on everybody wanted to know how we
were coming along. By nightfall we
had the money.
According to the May 31, 1867, issue
of The Columbian, it actually took
about one week to solicit subscriptions
for the donations. Regardless, the
newspaper praised the local generosity
which, it said, “casts much credit upon
the citizens of Bloomsburg and vicinity
for their display of liberality and public
spiritedness.”
The bell was ordered from the
Meneely Foundry of West Troy, now
Watervliet, N.Y., one of the leading U.S.
manufacturers of bells between 1826
and 1951, and arrived six weeks later on
May 24. The next day, workers hoisted
the 2,171-pound copper bell through
a back window into the secondfloor auditorium, and then through
a ventilator opening into the upper
part of the tower, where it rang for the
first time at 8 p.m. The total cost of

The Institute Hall bell as it appeared in 2005.

purchasing, shipping and hanging the
bell was about $1,115.
Just as the fundraising effort for the
building had been successful, so was
the campaign for a bell. The Bloomsburg
Democrat echoed the praise of The
Columbian when it said of the bell, “It is
a matter of necessity and the citizens of
our town and county justly merit praise
for their liberal subscriptions; and we
shall not fail to notice the energetic
labor of our young men George Elwell,
David Waller and Charles Unangst, who
canvassed for subscription not only
with vigor but success.”
The early story of the Institute
Hall bell is one of a community that
demonstrated unwavering support to
help ensure the success of the school
it had helped to create. Today, after 25
years of silence, it rings again. l

The 1867 Meneely bell was installed in Institute Hall’s tower more than a decade before this photo
was taken. Unfortunately, the bell is not visible.

Listed events are open to the public
and free of charge. For information and
additional events, see bloomu.edu/
music-events or call 570-389-4286. All
programs, dates, times and locations are
subject to change.
Student Honors Recital
Thursday, Feb. 11, 7 p.m.
Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall

Events in the 2015-16 Celebrity Artist
Series season will be presented in Haas
Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall, and
Carver Hall, Kenneth S. Gross Auditorium.
For more information and to order tickets,
call the box office at 570-389-4409 or
visit cas.buzz. Programs and dates are
subject to change.

Exhbitions in the Haas Gallery of Art
and The Gallery at Greenly Center, 50
E. Main St., Bloomsburg, are open to
the public free of charge. For more
information, gallery hours and reception
times, visit departments.bloomu.edu/art.
Shelby K. Shadwell
Drawing
Feb. 4 to March 10
Haas Gallery of Art
Reception: Feb. 4, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Artist Lecture: 1:15 p.m.

Alisha McCurdy
Various Media
March 24 to May 3
Haas Gallery of Art
Reception: April 20, 10:30 a.m. to noon
Design as Art/Art as Design
Various Media
Feb. 9 to March 4
The Gallery at Greenly Center
Reception: Feb 9, 4 to 6 p.m.
Breaking Ground
Various Media
March 14 to April 8
The Gallery at Greenly Center
Reception: March 17, 4 to 6 p.m.
Senior Exit Show
Various Media
April 20 to May 7
The Gallery at Greenly Center
Reception: April 20, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Alumni Events

Visit bloomualumni.com for details on
these and additional events or to register.
For information, contact Alumni Affairs at
800-526-0254 or alum@bloomu.edu.
Alumni Awards
Saturday, April 23

If this issue of Bloomsburg: The University Magazine is
addressed to a daughter or son who has established a
separate residence, please notify us of that new
address by sending an email to: magazine@bloomu.edu

WANT TO UNSUBSCRIBE?

If you no longer wish to receive the print edition
of the magazine, please notify us by sending
an email to: magazine@bloomu.edu

RECEIVING DUPLICATE COPIES?
If you are receiving more than one copy of
Bloomsburg: The University Magazine, please forward
the mailing label panel from each issue you receive to:
Bloomsburg: The University Magazine
Waller Administration Building
400 East Second Street
Bloomsburg, PA 17815-1301